Biden wins the Democratic Nomination while Trump waits
President Biden clinched the Democratic nomination on Tuesday, securing enough delegates to send him to a looming rematch against former President Donald J. Trump after a largely uncontested primary campaign nonetheless marked by doubts — even from supporters — about his age, foreign policy and staying power as a candidate.
Mr. Biden faced little opposition in his march to the nomination. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the political scion and environmental lawyer, dropped out of the Democratic nominating contest to run as an independent. Representative Dean Phillips of Minnesota and self-help guru Marianne Williamson never received more than a fraction of the votes.
In fact, Biden’s biggest rival was not a candidate, but a protest movement over his support for Israel in the Gaza war. The movement – organized by Muslim-American activists and progressives – urged voters to cast their ballots for the “uncommitted” option rather than for Mr Biden.
It received significant support in Michigan, winning more than 101,000 votes, as well as in Minnesota and Hawaii. Organizers also focused on Washington state, which held its primaries on Tuesday, although full results there won’t be known for several days.
Yet with his victory in Georgia on Tuesday, Biden exceeded the necessary threshold of 1,968 delegates to become his party’s standard-bearer this year.
On the Republican side, Trump was expected to secure the Republican nomination later on Tuesday. The early conclusion of the nomination contests means that Americans will face a lengthy election campaign. Mr. Trump, who faces 91 criminal charges in four cases, leads Mr. Biden in many polls.
Voters have questioned Biden’s age and his record during his first term, even as economic indicators improve. The president has shown weakness toward young people and Black and Hispanic voters, key groups in the coalition that propelled him to victory in 2020. Only 83 percent of voters who supported him four years ago say they plan to do so again, according to a recent survey. New York Times/Siena College Survey. For Mr. Trump, this figure is 97 percent.
Mr. Biden does viewed unfavorably by a majority of Americans — a precarious position for a president seeking re-election — but that includes Mr. Trump.
Mr. Biden and his allied groups have a significant financial advantage over Mr. Trump, whose legal bills are taking their toll.
The Biden campaign has argued that Democratic voters will return to the president as the choice crystallizes between him and Mr. Trump, whom Mr. Biden has portrayed as a threat to democracy.
In an effort to allay concerns about his age and stamina, Mr. Biden delivered a powerful State of the Union address last week, followed by trips to crucial battleground states. He has also spoken more forcefully about his achievements and begun laying out his vision for a second term, and his campaign has launched a $30 million advertising campaign.
The candidates won’t be formally anointed as nominees for their parties until their national conventions this summer. The Democrats will hold their convention in Chicago from August 19. The Republicans will hold their convention in Milwaukee from July 15.